Category: Members Journal
SMART-TD Bus Department wins arbitration awards for members
SMART-TD’s Bus Department continues to go to bat for members, contesting terminations and fighting for operators' rights.
Leingang named 11th general vice president
On July 1, 2026, SMART Northwest Regional Council President Devin Leingang was appointed 11th general vice president by the SMART General Executive Council.
BE4ALL Town Hall brings leadership, nearly 200 members together in Seattle
The second-ever BE4ALL Town Hall — featuring General President Michael Coleman, SMACNA President Todd Hill and Funds Executive Director Michael Harris — brought nearly 200 SMART members and dozens of SMACNA contractors together at Seattle’s Museum of Flight to speak directly with leadership about an important initiative to strengthen the unionized sheet metal industry.
SMART leaders attend NABTU Legislative Conference to secure a better deal for members, workers
In April 2026, SMART leaders gathered in Washington, DC, for the 2026 NABTU Legislative Conference. From meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to hearing from labor leaders and political candidates, union officers worked to secure a better deal for workers across the country.
2026 AFL-CIO Convention: Delegates plan a unionized future
From June 7-10, 2026, affiliated unions of the AFL-CIO, including SMART, came together for the federation’s convention in Minneapolis, Minn.: charting a path forward for our movement and strategizing on how we can secure a UNIONIZED future. Led by General President Michael Coleman, who also served on the AFL-CIO’s Constitution Committee, SMART delegates attended to bring the voice of sheet metal and transportation members to the largest gathering of organized labor in our nation.
General President Coleman brings the voice of SMART members to Congress
SMART General President Michael Coleman joined the United States Congressional Labor Caucus on April 15, 2026, to bring the voice of SMART members to Congress.
Fischbach retires; Garner named director of business and management relations
On April 13, 2026, SMART General President Michael Coleman announced the appointment of Josh Garner as SMART’s new director of business and management relations, following the retirement of outgoing director Tom Fischbach. Garner began his new position on May 1, 2026.
Trump administration’s Labor Department issues dangerous guidance on registered apprenticeship — GP Coleman responds
On Monday, March 9, the Trump administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance regarding registered apprenticeship programs. Read SMART General President Michael Coleman's statement in response. "I’ve said since January 2025 that I’m committed to calling balls and strikes with this administration. Calling for one million new apprentices? That’s a strike. Getting to one million apprentices by lowering the standards and potentially damaging our union’s apprenticeship programs? That’s a ball, no question."